GAME DAY BREAKDOWN: Dons vs. Pacific
1/9/2014 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Game #17
USF Dons (10-6, 3-1 WCC) vs. Pacific Tigers (9-5, 0-3 WCC)
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 • 7:00 p.m.
Alex G. Spanos Center • Stockton, Calif.
Series Record: USF leads, 60-34
Last Meeting: Pacific 67-59 (Dec. 8, 2013 at Stockton)
Audio Stream: USFDons.com (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Video Stream: TheW.tv (Rich Cellini, Play-by-Play; John Stege, Analyst)
Watch the USF-Pacific Game on TheW.TV
Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)
DONS INSIDER: Holmes making quick adjustments to new role
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Containing the Guards
Pacific comes into the game with some of the more dynamic playmakers in the conference. Guards Sama Taku, Andrew Bock, and TJ Wallace all have the ability to get to the basket and make tough shots.
"They've got some guys who are pretty dynamic scorers in their guards," Dons associate head coach Luke Wicks said. "You can't let those guys get in a rhythm early and you've got to make life tough on them."
Take and Bock are averaging a combined 23.7 points and are getting to the free throw line nearly 10 times per contest.
Don't let the record fool you
Pacific comes in having lost its first three WCC games at home to Saint Mary's and on the road at Portland and Gonzaga. It has been a tough road for the Tigers but their early struggles have not let the Dons' guard down.
"They're a good basketball team," Wicks said. "Being that you played two of the top teams traditionally in the conference in Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, no one has had a lot of success up in the Kennel. Saint Mary's is always going to be a dogfight."
"We know their backs are against the wall and they're going to come in with a huge sense of urgency but what we tell you guys and continue to stress to our guys is we haven't accomplished anything. Being 3-1 is great but at the end of the day if you don't continue to improve and don't continue to get better and strive for greatness, that 3-1 can turn into 3-15 really quick."
Dealing with Depth
The Tigers are one of the deepest teams in the league with six players averaging better than seven points per game. One of the key reserves, senior Ross Rivera, comes off the bench to average 9.8 points and is shooting 46.7 percent from three.
"They're so balanced in their scoring," Wicks said. "You can't really key on one or two guys and say 'Hey, if we shut these guys down, we'll win the game' because they are so diverse in that sense."
LAST YEAR'S GAME VS. PACIFIC: Pacific scored the last six points of the game to claim a 67-59 victory over the Dons on Dec. 8 at the Spanos Center. USF scored the first 10 points of the game and enjoyed an eight-point, 37-29 lead with 15:32 left in the game. Pacific then went on a 13-2 run to take a 42-39 lead with 11:55 remaining. Mark Tollefsen and Cole Dickerson shared team-high scoring honors with 14 points. The Dons shot 42.3 percent from the field and were just 6-of-15 (40 percent) from the foul line.
SERIES HISTORY: In a series that dates back to the 1911-12 season, USF leads the all-time series with Pacific, 60-34. Pacific has won 10 of the last 15 games in the series, including last year's contest in Stockton, 67-59 on Dec. 8. The Dons last win in the series came in the 2011-12 season, 79-69 on the Hilltop. USF has dropped its last three games to the Tigers in Stockton dating back to its last win in the 2004-05 campaign (67-64). Two of the charter members of the WCC, USF and Pacific met 44 times as conference foes from 1952-71, with the Dons holding a 30-14 advantage.
SECOND CHANCES: USF is averaging 12.4 offensive rebounds a game, third best in the WCC behind LMU (13.7) and BYU (12.9). Kruize Pinkins leads the conference in offensive rebounds with a 3.3 per game mark.
Game #17
USF Dons (10-6, 3-1 WCC) vs. Pacific Tigers (9-5, 0-3 WCC)
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014 • 7:00 p.m.
Alex G. Spanos Center • Stockton, Calif.
Series Record: USF leads, 60-34
Last Meeting: Pacific 67-59 (Dec. 8, 2013 at Stockton)
Audio Stream: USFDons.com (Pat Olson, Play-by-Play; Jim Brovelli, Analyst)
Video Stream: TheW.tv (Rich Cellini, Play-by-Play; John Stege, Analyst)
Watch the USF-Pacific Game on TheW.TV
Complete USF Game Notes (PDF)
DONS INSIDER: Holmes making quick adjustments to new role
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Containing the Guards
Pacific comes into the game with some of the more dynamic playmakers in the conference. Guards Sama Taku, Andrew Bock, and TJ Wallace all have the ability to get to the basket and make tough shots.
"They've got some guys who are pretty dynamic scorers in their guards," Dons associate head coach Luke Wicks said. "You can't let those guys get in a rhythm early and you've got to make life tough on them."
Take and Bock are averaging a combined 23.7 points and are getting to the free throw line nearly 10 times per contest.
Don't let the record fool you
Pacific comes in having lost its first three WCC games at home to Saint Mary's and on the road at Portland and Gonzaga. It has been a tough road for the Tigers but their early struggles have not let the Dons' guard down.
"They're a good basketball team," Wicks said. "Being that you played two of the top teams traditionally in the conference in Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, no one has had a lot of success up in the Kennel. Saint Mary's is always going to be a dogfight."
"We know their backs are against the wall and they're going to come in with a huge sense of urgency but what we tell you guys and continue to stress to our guys is we haven't accomplished anything. Being 3-1 is great but at the end of the day if you don't continue to improve and don't continue to get better and strive for greatness, that 3-1 can turn into 3-15 really quick."
Dealing with Depth
The Tigers are one of the deepest teams in the league with six players averaging better than seven points per game. One of the key reserves, senior Ross Rivera, comes off the bench to average 9.8 points and is shooting 46.7 percent from three.
"They're so balanced in their scoring," Wicks said. "You can't really key on one or two guys and say 'Hey, if we shut these guys down, we'll win the game' because they are so diverse in that sense."
LAST YEAR'S GAME VS. PACIFIC: Pacific scored the last six points of the game to claim a 67-59 victory over the Dons on Dec. 8 at the Spanos Center. USF scored the first 10 points of the game and enjoyed an eight-point, 37-29 lead with 15:32 left in the game. Pacific then went on a 13-2 run to take a 42-39 lead with 11:55 remaining. Mark Tollefsen and Cole Dickerson shared team-high scoring honors with 14 points. The Dons shot 42.3 percent from the field and were just 6-of-15 (40 percent) from the foul line.
SERIES HISTORY: In a series that dates back to the 1911-12 season, USF leads the all-time series with Pacific, 60-34. Pacific has won 10 of the last 15 games in the series, including last year's contest in Stockton, 67-59 on Dec. 8. The Dons last win in the series came in the 2011-12 season, 79-69 on the Hilltop. USF has dropped its last three games to the Tigers in Stockton dating back to its last win in the 2004-05 campaign (67-64). Two of the charter members of the WCC, USF and Pacific met 44 times as conference foes from 1952-71, with the Dons holding a 30-14 advantage.
SECOND CHANCES: USF is averaging 12.4 offensive rebounds a game, third best in the WCC behind LMU (13.7) and BYU (12.9). Kruize Pinkins leads the conference in offensive rebounds with a 3.3 per game mark.
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